Paris 2024 Canoe Sprint: Czechia’s Josef Dostal wins first gold to beat Hungarian duo in men's kayak single 1000m final

Czechia’s Josef Dostal can finally add gold to his Olympic collection after winning the men’s kayak single 1000m final at Paris 2024.

With one silver and three bronze in his previous three Olympics, this time it was a golden sprint to the line with a 3:24.07 enough to beat Hungary’s Adam Varga (3:24.76).

It was a Hungarian 2-3, with defending champion Bálint Kopasz claiming the bronze (3:25.68).

Dostal may well have thought his time may never come standing on the top of an Olympic podium.

Competing in his fourth Games, he had already secured four medals heading to Paris 2024, but the gold had eluded him.

A bronze medallist in the K4 100m at London 2012 and Rio 2016, a silver medallist in the K1 1000m at Rio 2016, and a bronze medallist once more at Tokyo 2020 in the K2 1000m, evidently Dostal never gave up.

On Saturday (10 August), the five-time world champion – including in this event 10 years ago – finally reigned supreme on the Olympic stage.

Dostal overtook Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta after the halfway stage and never looked back, maintaining his lead over Varga and Kopasz until the very end.

Varga pushed him close, but Dostal won by 0.69 seconds, making Varga now a two-time Olympic silver medallist in this event and likely to go again for gold at LA 2028.

At least he will have Dostal’s own story for inspiration.

Podium: Canoe Sprint men’s kayak single 1000m final, Paris 2024

Gold: Josef Dostal (Czechia)

Silver: Adam Varga (Hungary)

Bronze: Bálint Kopasz (Hungary)